The Dillon tribune. [volume] (Dillon, Mont.) 1881-1941, 1887-01-14

.nl's 'f1et' II done well. is simply done VOL,
buC IL not done well, is very bad. II i. H.
ah egg that is either good or utterly ,yo,.,,
less. "''e''y "orih'
rancakc seemed fated to exhaust tho cato.
CORY OF possible mistakes. COMING On tho
ground late he found that a gap had bc.n l.ft
~ tue Inc FOR his company which was onl,,
".'els sufficient to receive it when il woa
"',Sheu ana coinpactly dressed"
In MS nervousness he halted tho comnor,,
oe'ofe II mad reached the right of the rnn hv
ten PAGES, and SO left about one-ouarter Of tho
ro"pany tapping over OIL the one to tho left
Nv I.eii 'nis was done with an unsigtly tumble
.1!s CONFUSION as to the reversal of ri-ht ond
ieiS sun abode with him. He co,on,or,,cd
r'sho Lace" instead Of front" and was
amazed 10 see tho whole ono hundred well
uiliiea men whlrl their backs around to the
esl,ienc ana tho commanding officer. A
'ausn ripped down tho ranks If tho other
companies; even tho spectators smiled, and
something sounded like swearing by tho nd
]ntant and sergeant major
Pancake lifted his plumel hat a,,, ,v;,o.,
the beaded perspiration from h is brow with
the back OF one of his yellow gauntlets
"Orfler AN about face,'" Whispered tn, mr..
DERBY sergeant, whose face was burning with
shame at the awkward position in which tho
company found itself.
"About-facew gasped Pancake
The men turned on their heels.
derby.
"side-step to the right" repeated Pancake,
mechanically.
me men took short side-steps, and follow
ing the orders which Pancake repeated from
tne whispered suggestions Of the orderly. the
company came clulmsily forward into its
place, dressed" and "opened ranks to the
rear" When at the command Of "parads
rest" Pancake dropped his sabre's point to
the ground; he did it with tho crushed feeling
OF strutting cock which had been flung into
the pond and energes with dripping feathers
he raised his heart in sincere thanksgiving
tnat ne was at last through, for there was
nothing more for him to do during the pa
rade, except to stand still, and at its conclu-
sion the orderly would have to march tho
company back to its quarters.
But his woes had still another chapter, The
inspector general had come up to camp to in
spect the regiment, and he was OH the ground
Forty years OF service in the regular army,
with promotion average of one grade every
ten years, making him an old man and q
grandfather before he was o lieutenant COL
onel, had SO surcharged Col. Murbanks ma
ture with bitterness as to make even the very
dir in his vicinity seem roughly astringent
The wicked young lieutenants who served
with him on the plains used to say that his
bark was worse than his bite, because no rca-
sonable bite could ever be SO bad as his bark
They even suggested calling him Peruvian
bark" because visit to his quarters was
worse than strong dose Of quinia.
"Yeth, that'th good" said the iisping wit
of the crowd "Evely bite it'll bit, amt
it! And the wortht mutht be a bitter, ath
he ith."
The colonel believed that the whole duty of
man consisted in loving the army regulations
and in keeping their commandments. Tho
best part of all virtue was to observe them to
the letter; the most abhorrent form Of vice to
violate or disregard even their minor pre-
cepts.
His feelings were continually lacelated by
contact with volunteers, who cared next to
nothing for the form of war making, but
everything for its spirit, and the martinez
heart within him was bruised and sore when
he came upon the ground to inspect the
regiment
Pancakes laundering in bringing the CON-
pany into line awakened this ire from pas
sivity to activity.
"Ill have that dunderhead's shoulder straps
off inside of fortnight" he muttered be-
tween his teeth.
The unhappy lieutenants inability to even
stand properly during the parade or repeat
an order intensified his rage When tho
parade was dismissed the officers, as usual,
sheathed their swords and, forming q line
with the adjutant III tho center, marched for
ward to tho commanding and inspecting
officers and saluted. Then the wrath Of the
old inspector became vocable.
"What in Gods name" he roaretl, fixing
his glance upon Pancake so Enthusiastically
that even the latter's rainbow-c clad girls, who
had crowded up closely, could not make
mistake as to the victim of the expletives
"What in Gods name, sir repeated the old
fellow, with purpling face, do you mean by
bringing your company ON to the ground in
that absurd way, sir? Did you think, sir,
that it was a hod of brick-with which l have
no doubt you arc most familiar-that you
could dump down any place and any how, sir!
Such misconduct is simply disgraceful, sir,
I'd have you know. Simply disgraceful, SIR"
He paused for BREATH but Pancake had no
word OF defense to offer.
"And what do you mean, sir:" resumed the
inspector, after initiating his lungs for an
other gust; "what in the name of all the pie
bald circus clowns that ever jggercd around
Oh sawdust, do you mean by coming on
parade dressed like the ringmaster Of u trav-
cling monkey show, sir! Haven't You any
more idea of the honor Of wearing United
States sworl-tl.e noblest weapon on earth,
sir-than to make yourself look like tho drum
major of q band Of niger MINISTRIES, sirl
Yes, sir; the drum major of band of Niger
minstlels, sir! a United States officer ought